Virgin Media has released new guidance urging broadband customers to check their routers and take simple steps to secure their home Wi-Fi networks. The advice comes as households increasingly rely on internet connections for work and entertainment, making routers a potential target for cyber criminals or neighbours seeking to use the connection without permission.
Reboot Your Router for Updates
The company suggests starting by locating the power button, typically on the back of Virgin's routers, and performing a reboot. This process clears speed-reducing bugs and ensures the device installs the latest software updates.
"Software updates don’t just add new features. They often include important security improvements too," Virgin confirmed. "It’s as simple as… turning your Hub off and on again."
A full reboot takes around 10 minutes, so Virgin advises ensuring no one needs internet access before switching off.
Change Your Wi-Fi Password
Next, Virgin recommends changing the router's password, either online or via the Virgin Media app. Statistics indicate that 80 percent of homes have never changed this setting.
"All our Hubs have a unique passphrase that you’ll need to access your WiFi. We suggest that you change this passphrase regularly to something only the members of your household will know," Virgin said.
When creating a new password, Virgin advises using a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters along with numbers to make it harder to guess.
Set Up a Guest Network and Hide SSID
Virgin also suggests setting up a unique guest network, which provides a separate Wi-Fi code not linked to the main account. This makes it easier to change the guest code without affecting devices on the primary network, and prevents visitors from hogging bandwidth without asking for the updated password.
For those concerned about security, hiding the network name (SSID) is another option. The SSID is what appears when scanning for available networks. Users can make it disappear by changing settings in the WiFi Networks section of the My Virgin Media app, preventing others from discovering or attempting to log in without permission.
These quick Wi-Fi updates aim to make home networks more secure and protect user data.
